


If Tomorrow Comes

by Warp5Complex_Archivist



Category: Star Trek: Enterprise
Genre: M/M, Songfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-03-07
Updated: 2006-03-07
Packaged: 2018-08-16 00:45:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,308
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8080165
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Warp5Complex_Archivist/pseuds/Warp5Complex_Archivist
Summary: In the aftermath of Malcolm's injury Trip thinks that sometimes words just aren't enough. (07/27/2003)





	

**Author's Note:**

> Note from Kylie Lee, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [Warp 5 Complex](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Warp_5_Complex), the software of which ceased to be maintained and created a security hazard. To make future maintenance and archive growth easier, I began importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in August 2016. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but I may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [Warp 5 Complex collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/Warp5Complex).

  
Author's notes: Lyrics to "If Tomorrow Never Comes" by Garth Brooks. For someone specialâ€”if tomorrow never comes.  


* * *

> Sometimes late at night  
> I lie awake and watch her sleeping  
> She's lost in peaceful dreams  
> So I turn out the lights and lay there in the dark  
> And the thought crosses my mind  
> If I never wake up in the morning  
> Would she ever doubt the way I feel  
> About her in my heart
> 
> If tomorrow never comes  
> Will she know how much I loved her  
> Did I try in every way to show her every day  
> That she's my only one  
> And if my time on earth were through  
> And she must face the world without me  
> Is the love I gave her in the past  
> Gonna be enough to last  
> If tomorrow never comes
> 
> 'Cause I've lost loved ones in my life  
> Who never knew how much I loved them  
> Now I live with the regret  
> That my true feelings for them never were revealed  
> So I made a promise to myself  
> To say each day how much she means to me  
> And avoid that circumstance  
> Where there's no second chance to tell her how I feel  
> If tomorrow never comes  
> Will she know how much I loved her  
> Did I try in every way to show her every day  
> That she's my only one  
> And if my time on earth were through  
> And she must face the world without me  
> Is the love I gave her in the past  
> Gonna be enough to last  
> If tomorrow never comes
> 
> So tell that someone that you love  
> Just what you're thinking of  
> If tomorrow never comes

Trip Tucker looked at the ceiling above him without really seeing it in the dim light that illuminated his quarters. Thoughts were crossing his mind, thoughts that sometimes crept up upon him when he couldn't sleep, usually in the middle of the night, or the wee hours of the morning. Especially lately, combined with nightmares that kept him from sleeping as well. He knew very well that their life was dangerous, that every minute of every day was a precious gift and he should treat it like that. But it was one thing knowing something and another—the sight of his lover, dead pale and hanging on by the flesh of his teeth while a spear was deeply embedded into his left shoulder, gritting his teeth against the pain of torn flesh and broken bones while being moved to the sickbay, had proven that statement right. It could have been this time...

Trip took in a shuddering breath at the image. It wasn't the only one. Once he had heard an old saying about living each day as if it were your last. If this would be his last, he mused, what about his love? His feelings?

He hadn't talked about them recently, hadn't he? Of course he had said the words, true. But did that mean the one he loved really knew what he meant to him? Did he do enough, was he enough? Enough for the other man? For one Malcolm Reed?

Did he love him enough?

Did he show his love to Malcolm in every possible way?

Why came Malcolm was so damned sure of him, after all?

What if tomorrow really never came? It could be either one of them, any given day, it could be something like a goddamn freaking accident in the engine room, a blast of a gun, an alien virus...

What if Malcolm would have to face the world alone? What if he...? What if...

"Trip?"

The soft mumbled word, the slightly sleep-slurred voice with that lovely accent, thickened because its owner was barely awake. A hand sneaked out from under the sheets when he didn't answer right away, laid down on his chest and moving in slow reassuring circles. Trip sighed silently and took said hand, turning his head and looking into the blue-grey eyes of his lover. Worried eyes.

Malcolm watched him, being awake by now, getting the slight feeling his lover hadn't slept much this night.

"Trip?" he asked again, frowning slightly. This was eerie.

"I'm fine," Trip muttered, putting a featherlike kiss on his palm. "go back to sleep."

"Uhm-hm, sure you're fine. Right. What's wrong?"

"Nothing:"

"Tri-ip. You're talking to me, remember? The man you use to sleep with? Call 'lover'?"

Trip winced almost inaudible, but Malcolm noticed nevertheless and it didn't help to ease his growing worry. What the hell was going on with Trip? They had made love this evening, slow and passionate, either one savouring the other man's body, nibbling soft skin over hard muscles, had wrapped their arms around each other, stumbling over the edge together, and went to sleep together, cuddled in each other's arms. Trip had held him as if there'd be no tomorrow, almost clung to him, had whispered 'I love you' over and over again. Malcolm had needed this as sort of a reassurance as well after his last visit at sickbay when finally the sling was removed for good and Plox had officially declared him in shape again. He shuddered at the memory of the physical pain, of a pale Hoshi Sato doing her best to keep him alive, and the first moment when he had woken up to find Trip at his side, holding his hand, smiling, though he had made out a treacherous moist glitter in his lover's blue eyes. Unshed tears of pain, worry, fear...and relief. He barely recalled the warm hand caressing his face or the warm words caressing his soul before he had been slipped back to sleep. Malcolm hadn't told Trip about the other kind of pain he had felt while having a sharp long piece of metal impaled through his shoulder, pinning him to the floor of an ancient star ship—the pain of fear that he would never see his lover again, hold and being held, the pain of reality hitting that this could be the day he had been afraid of, this could be the final one. And he had been without Trip, no chance to even talk to him, tell him, let alone show him what the man meant to him. His life, pure and simple. And suddenly Malcolm understood.

"Oh Trip, " he whispered, wrapping his arm around the blonde, pulling him closer and placing a soft kiss on his lips. He winced slightly as Trip brushed over his injured shoulder which was still a little tender and stiff. Reed felt his lover take in a sharp breath at this, and held him even closer, not allowing Trip to withdraw now.

"I know," he whispered, brushing the hair out of his lovers face, caressing and stroking the tension from Trip's body, until he felt the other man relax into his embrace. Holding Trip he whispered words of love and tenderness, of reassurance for the both of them, feeling the small tremors running over Tucker's body, and the moisture on his bare shoulders told him enough.

"God, Trip...I know."

He continued rubbing Trip's back, just waiting the outbreak out, feeling a small hot sting in his own eyes at the pain of his lover, pain he knew was caused by him. In a way. By the life they were living. Malcolm kissed the blond head, listening to the breathing of his lover even, until Trip was calm again.

"I love you..." he heard Trip whisper into his ear. "So much..."

"I know. I love you, too, Trip."

"You do?"

"Know or love you?"

"Know..."

"Yes. I do."

There were no further words needed. Trip's head came up, and Malcolm looked into those blue eyes, searching for something in his'—and seemingly finding it.

"Oh, Mal..."

Their lips met. It was enough for know.

For this time tomorrow would come.


End file.
